Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yantai Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yantai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $735 in Yantai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,152 in Yantai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,568 in Yantai, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Yantai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Yantai are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Yantai 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿63.6

$3.36 ¥22.99

-41.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿611

$17.82 ¥122

5.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿258

$4.60 ¥31.50

72.17%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.2

$3.48 ¥23.85

-45.11%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ฿27.25

$0.47 ¥3.23

78.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.44

$0.31 ¥2.14

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿71.7

$0.80 ¥5.48

176.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.04 ¥13.96

86.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.2

$1.97 ¥13.47

-16.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿52.8

$1.53 ¥10.51

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.40

$0.69 ¥4.72

71.01%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.4

$1.36 ¥9.33

47.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿517

$15.10 ¥103

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.0

$4.08 ¥27.93

-26.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿350

$7.58 ¥51.9

42.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.0

$1.33 ¥9.13

96.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.65

$0.83 ¥5.70

46.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.4

$1.23 ¥8.44

38.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.2

$1.02 ¥6.97

54.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿42.89

$0.69 ¥4.74

91.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.01

$1.14 ¥7.79

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.85

$0.66 ¥4.50

1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.21

$0.47 ¥3.24

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿147

$3.82 ¥26.19

18.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿592

$14.38 ¥98.5

26.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.6

$1.03 ¥7.08

77.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.55 ¥10.61

108.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿28.83

$0.27 ¥1.84

229.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

$16.48 ¥113

17.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿43.95

$1.36 ¥9.35

-0.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿43.79

$0.22 ¥1.50

513.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿268

$6.20 ¥42.44

33.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.40

$1.13 ¥7.73

12.39%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.2K ฿687.8K

$19.9K ¥136.1K

6.48%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.5K ฿731.0K

$13.1K ¥89.9K

71.30%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$70.2 ฿2,281

$51.4 ¥352

36.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.77 ฿448

$10.88 ¥74.5

26.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿572

$10.46 ¥71.6

68.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,352

$27.47 ¥188

51.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿215

$6.99 ¥47.86

-5.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿188

$4.97 ¥34.08

16.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$306 ฿9,953

$341 ¥2,335

-10.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿482.0K

$23.5K ¥160.8K

-36.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,768

$77.6 ¥531

-29.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿850

$37.92 ¥260

-31.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,748

$78.8 ¥540

7.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,257

$99.2 ¥680

-30.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.8K

$137 ¥939

209.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,743

$187 ¥1,280

27.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿26.8K

$388 ¥2,660

112.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.7K

$354 ¥2,424

45.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿66.6K

$3,209 ¥22.0K

-36.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.5K

$6,394 ¥43.8K

-76.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

$1,113 ¥7,623

-42.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

31.23%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Yantai: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $137 in Yantai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 75% higher in Yantai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $18.00 in Yantai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $203 – making Yantai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Yantai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Yantai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,103 in Yantai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yantai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $306 per month in Chiang Mai and $341 in Yantai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $735 in Yantai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yantai costs $735 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Yantai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.